07/15/2018
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Understanding the TRUE nature of who we are called to be through Christ Jesus is sorely lacking in the "Evangelical" world of "Christianity" today. With all the Mega Church "Preachers {FALSE Disciples of SATAN}" teaching their congregations that it is GOD'S desire to give unimaginable wealth if only you give to their "ministry {which is being made to appear godly by Demonic Forces}". The more they "SMILE" from their thrones "aka pulpits" the more money you give in the hopes that one day you obtain great spiritual and financial wealth. These "Smiling" men and women according to the Word of God are only out to rob you while increasing their own personal wealth. In Matthew we can read God's WARNING to ALL those who chose to follow Him about these snakes Satan has planted to steal not only your finances but even your joy.
“Be
wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced
sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other.
Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are
is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never
exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with
their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned." Matthew 7:15-20
Notice here the WARNING to NOT be IMPRESSED with "CHARISMA" which plainly stated means don't be impressed with their {compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others}.
These "diseased trees" with all their lies and deception are going to be "cut down and burned". What do you think is going to happen to those who put all their faith and trust in these "false preachers"? They are going to be left broke, sad, hurt, disappointed and some even mad at God who had nothing to do with their "blind trust" in those evil men and women. These people usually end up abandoning the faith, giving up on God because they created an idol out of the false preachers, therefore making them just as guilty as the man or woman in the pulpit for believing lies instead of the TRUTH from God's Word.
Remember my friends; Satan knows more about GOD than anyone on this planet therefore he uses that knowledge to STEAL from everyone he can, to KILL all your joy and faith in God, and DESTROY your life because you chose to believe the lies. The Apostle Paul warns the Corinthians about the cunning ways of Satan and how he uses FALSE TEACHERS to deceive the people of God:
For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]." John 10:10
What I want you to realize today is that JESUS {our Lord and Savior and our EXAMPLE of how to live} wants you to be satisfied with your relationship with GOD which is ALL that truly matters in this life. If you continually DESIRE "PROSPERITY" chasing after it, then it {Money or Material things} have become an idol "false god" in your life leaving you feeling hopeless and helpless.
The Word of God teaches the believer that you cannot serve God and worship "prosperity" at the same time.
" No
servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will stand devotedly by the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and mammon [that is, your earthly possessions or anything else you trust in and rely on instead of God].” Luke 16:13
“No one
can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]." Matthew 6:24
Jesus taught those who wanted to follow Him the important LIFE LESSON called HUMILITY. Let's take a look at how awesome it can feel to possess the power of JESUS NAME while remaining humble in knowing where that power comes from therefore resisting the temptation to exalt one's self above the very one who gave you the power. In Luke 10 Jesus gives instruction on how to conduct yourself as one of His followers. We will also learn to remain humble and to know what is TRULY important in this life.
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy
others, and sent them out ahead of Him, two by two, into every city and place
where He was about to go. He was saying to them, “The harvest is abundant [for
there are many who need to hear the good news about salvation], but the workers
[those available to proclaim the message of salvation] are few. Therefore,
[prayerfully] ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.
Go your way; listen carefully: I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.Do
not carry a money belt, a provision bag, or [extra] sandals; and do not greet
anyone along the way [who would delay you]. Whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God] to
this house.’ And if anyone of peace is there [someone who is sweet-spirited and
hospitable], your [blessing of] peace will rest on him; but if not, it will
return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they provide, for
the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not move from house to house. Whenever
you go into a city and they welcome you, eat what is set before you; and heal
those in it who are sick [authenticating your message], and say to them, ‘The
kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whatever city you enter and they do
not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city
which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you [breaking
all ties]; yet understand this, that the kingdom of God has come near [and you
rejected it].’ I tell you, it will be more bearable in that day [of judgment] for
Sodom than for that city. “Woe (judgment is coming) to you, Chorazin! Woe to
you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles performed in you had been performed in Tyre
and Sidon, they would have repented and changed their minds long ago,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes [to show deep regret for sin]. However, it will
be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. And you,
Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades
(the realm of the dead). “The one who listens to you listens to Me; and the one
who rejects you rejects Me; and the one who rejects Me rejects Him [My heavenly
Father] who sent Me.” The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the
demons are subject to us in Your name.” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall
from heaven like [a flash of] lightning. Listen carefully: I have given you
authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the
ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and
nothing will [in any way] harm you. Nevertheless do not rejoice at this, that
the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in
heaven.”In that very hour He was overjoyed and rejoiced greatly in the
Holy Spirit, and He said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
that You have hidden these things [relating to salvation] from the wise and
intelligent, and have revealed them to infants [the childlike and untaught]. Yes,
Father, for this way was [Your gracious will and choice, and was] well-pleasing
in Your sight. All things have been transferred and turned over to Me by
My Father and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father
is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.” Then
turning to His disciples, Jesus said privately, “Blessed [joyful, spiritually
enlightened, and favored by God] are the eyes which see what you see, for I say
to you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, and they did
not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”And a certain
lawyer [an expert in Mosaic Law] stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher, what
must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the
Law? How do you read it?” And he replied, “You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this habitually and
you will live.” But he, wishing to justify and vindicate himself,
asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”Jesus replied, “A man was going down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, and he encountered robbers, who stripped him of his
clothes [and belongings], beat him, and went their way [unconcerned], leaving
him half dead. Now by coincidence a priest was going down that road, and when
he saw him, he passed by on the other side.Likewise a Levite
also came down to the place and saw him, and passed by on the other side [of
the road]. But a Samaritan (foreigner), who was traveling, came upon him; and
when he saw him, he was deeply moved with compassion [for him], and went to him
and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them [to sooth and
disinfect the injuries]; and he put him on his own pack-animal, and brought him
to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii (two
days’ wages) and gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and
whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I return.’ Which of these three
do you think proved himself a neighbor to the man who encountered the robbers?”
He answered, “The one who showed compassion and mercy to him.” Then
Jesus said to him, “Go and constantly do the same.”Now while they were
on their way, Jesus entered a village [called Bethany], and a woman named
Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who seated
herself at the Lord’s feet and was continually listening to His
teaching. But Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her
serving responsibilities; and she approached Him and said, “Lord, is it of no
concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to
help me and do her part.” But the Lord replied to her, “Martha, Martha,
you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things; but only
one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her
advantage], which will not be taken away from her.”Luke
10
Jesus took His last night on Earth before being betrayed and crucified to teach the disciples the ultimate act of humility. Unless we are willing to become servants we are not worthy to become followers of Jesus Christ.
Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal.Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?”Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.”Peter persisted, “You’re not going to wash my feet—ever!”
Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.”“Master!” said Peter. “Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!”Jesus said, “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you’re clean. But not every one of you.” (He knew who was betraying him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you.”) After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life. John 13:1-16
To learn more about Meekness and Humility vs. Pride, Haughtiness, and Egotism, click on this link.
Now I want to share a couple of articles I found with you concerning this "Prosperity Gospel" deception that Satan is using to destroy the lives of so many of God's Children. Satan has multiple "Mega" ministries teaching this FALSE doctrine and leading many people astray.
Remember Satan has many false teachers in this world today.
Satan is the counterfeiter. . . . He has a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9), preached by false ministers (2 Corinthians 11:13), producing false Christians (2 Corinthians 11:26). . . . Satan plants his counterfeits wherever God plants true believers (Matthew 13:38).
The first article I am sharing with you is entitled, "Three Biblical Examples that Disprove the Prosperity Gospel" by Dr. Andrew Spencer.
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Dr. Andrew Spencer
December 8, 2017
December 8, 2017
Is the prosperity gospel biblical? Last week, I
introduced the “prosperity gospel”—what it is and why it’s harmful. Today,
I’d like to address a biblical response to this teaching.
In their book, When Helping Hurts, Steve Corbett and Brian
Fikkert write,
At its core, the
health-and-wealth gospel teaches that God rewards increasing levels of faith
with greater amounts of wealth. When stated this way, the health-and-wealth
gospel is easy to reject on a host of biblical grounds.
Here are three counterexamples to the idea that greater faith results
in greater wealth. Though a much more in-depth rebuttal is possible, these
three examples from scripture provide sufficient grounds to reject the
prosperity gospel.
1. The Rich Young Ruler
In Mark 10:17-31, a passage that has become fuel for the error of Christian asceticism, a young man actually comes to Jesus to ask him how to be saved. The man claims to have fulfilled all of the commandments, which he may have done according to the legalistic definitions of the day.
In response, Jesus tells the man,
“You lack one thing: go and sell all your
property and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and
come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking
the same path of life that I walk].”
(Mark
10:21).
This causes the man to leave in disappointment. When asked for an
explanation for this exchange, Jesus tells his disciples:
“It is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man [who places his faith
in wealth or status] to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark
10:25).
John Calvin notes that Jesus’ explanation
shows us that his point was not to denigrate wealth, but to show the young
inquirer that grace was necessary for salvation and that he couldn’t earn
heaven through his works.
The story is also
a demonstration of Christ undermining the first-century prosperity gospel that
understood financial prosperity as a sign of spiritual blessings.
According to Ezra Gould, this is made clear
by the disciples’ response to Jesus’ words. “Then who can be saved?” they ask (Mark
10:26). Jesus is
telling the audience that wealth and holiness are not directly related.
2. Paul
The Apostle Paul
is another key individual that did not find financial prosperity or wealth as a
direct result of his faithfulness to God. Indeed, there are few individuals who
can be said to have been more faithful to God’s call than Paul, and yet Paul
was not a wealthy man. He suffered a great deal despite being blessed by God in
many ways.
In Colossians 1:24, Paul mentions
that he is suffering for the sake of the Colossian Christians. He reveals in Colossians 4:18 that a part of
his suffering is due to being in chains. Chains have not been generally
considered a sign of wealth and abundant temporal blessing.
In 1Timothy, Paul instructs his young friend to be content and not to
desire wealth (1Timothy 6:6–8).
He continues,
“But those who [are not
financially ethical and] crave to get rich [with a compulsive, greedy longing
for wealth] fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful
desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction [leading to personal
misery]. For the love of money [that is, the
greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of
all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith
and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.” (1Timothy
6:9–10)
These do not sound
like the teachings of one who is encouraging people to get rich to show how
much God has blessed them.
On the other hand,
Paul does not condemn riches. In the same chapter in 1Timothy he writes,
“As
for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and
arrogant, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who
richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be
generous, willing to share [with others]. In this
way storing up for themselves the enduring riches of a good foundation
for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” (1
Timothy 6:17–19).
Much like Jesus’
teaching to the disciples, Paul is showing that financial prosperity and
spiritual blessing are not intrinsically connected.
3. Jesus
A third example of
wealth and spiritual blessing not being directly connected is the life of
Jesus. Since Jesus is God incarnate, under the prosperity gospel it would stand
to reason that he would be the wealthiest of all that have ever lived since no
one could be more holy and have more faith than Christ. The reverse is true.
Jesus was homeless.
To one person that asked to follow him, Jesus said,
“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man
has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke
9:58).
Throughout his
earthly ministry, Jesus was supported financially by a group of believing women
(Luke 8:1-3). Clearly, if
wealth and faith were directly connected, then Jesus would have lived more
ostentatiously than he did.
Paul summarizes Christ’s humble estate while living on earth,
“…though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with
God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a
servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross” (Philippians
2:6–8).
This is an example
of humility and poverty, not of abundant wealth. The connection between wealth
and faithfulness cannot be direct and linear.
This is by no means a
complete picture of what scripture says about prosperity, suffering, and
spiritual blessing, but these three examples provide a convincing counterpoint
to the claims of the prosperity gospel that greater faith necessarily results
in greater prosperity.
 |
| Dr. Andrew Spencer
Andrew Spencer is a Senior Research
Fellow for IFWE. He holds a PhD. in Theological Studies from Southeastern
Baptist Theological Seminary and regularly blogs at Ethics and Culture. He
previously served in the United States Navy as a Submarine Officer after
graduating from the United States Naval Academy.
|
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Now let’s take a look at another great article entitled, 5 Errors of the Prosperity Gospel which was written by David W. Jones . This article further explains why the PROSPERITY GOSPEL is NOT BIBLICAL. David W. Jones only covers a few of the FALSE TEACHERS and the DECEPTIVE GOSPEL being used to manipulate the follower's of Christ Jesus.
June 5, 2015 |
Editors’ note: Previously:
“Prosperity
Gospel Born in the USA” (Russell Woodbridge). The following is an
edited version of an article that originally appeared in the
9Marks Journal on the prosperity gospel.
More
than a century ago, speaking to the then-largest congregation in all
Christendom, Charles Spurgeon said, “I believe that it is anti-Christian and
unholy for any Christian to live with the object of accumulating wealth.
You will say, ‘Are we not to strive all we can to get all the money we
can?’ You may do so. I cannot doubt but what, in so doing, you may do
service to the cause of God. But what I said was that to live with the
object of accumulating wealth is anti-Christian.”
Over
the years, however, the message being preached in some of the largest churches
in the world has changed—indeed, a new gospel is being taught to many
congregations today. This message has been ascribed many name, such as the
“name it and claim it” gospel, the “blab it and grab it” gospel, the “health
and wealth” gospel, the “prosperity gospel,” and “positive confession theology.”
No
matter what name is used, the essence of this message is the same. Simply put,
this “prosperity gospel” teaches that God wants believers to be physically
healthy, materially wealthy, and personally happy. Listen to the words of
Robert Tilton, one of its best-known spokesmen: “I believe that it is the
will of God for all to prosper because I see it in the Word, not because it has
worked mightily for someone else. I do not put my eyes on men, but on God who
gives me the power to get wealth.” Teachers of the prosperity gospel
encourage their followers to pray for and even demand material flourishing from
God.
This list is not even all the FALSE TEACHER'S who are using the "NAME IT and CLAIM IT" Gospel to RIP OFF the children of God and lead them astray.
Five Theological Errors
Russell
Woodbridge and I wrote a book titled Health,
Wealth, and Happiness: Has the Prosperity Gospel Overshadowed the Gospel of
Christ? (Kregel, 2010) to examine the claims of prosperity
gospel advocates. While the book is too wide-ranging to summarize here, in
this article I’d like to review five doctrines we cover in it—doctrines on
which prosperity gospel advocates err. By discerning these errors regarding key
doctrines, I hope you will plainly see the dangers of the prosperity gospel.
1. The Abrahamic
covenant is a means to material entitlement.
The
Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12, 15, 17, 22) is one of the theological bases of
the prosperity gospel. It’s good that prosperity theologians recognize much of
Scripture is the record of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, but it’s
bad that they don’t maintain an orthodox view of this covenant. They
incorrectly view the inception of the covenant; more significantly, they
erroneously view the application of the covenant.
In
his book Spreading the Flame (Zondervan, 1992); Edward Pousson
stated the prosperity view on the application of the Abrahamic covenant:
“Christians are Abraham’s spiritual children and heirs to the blessings of
faith. . . . This Abrahamic inheritance is unpacked primarily in terms
of material entitlements.” In other words, the prosperity gospel
teaches that the primary purpose of the Abrahamic covenant was for God to bless
Abraham materially. Since believers are now Abraham’s spiritual children,
we have inherited these financial blessings. As Kenneth Copeland
wrote in his 1974 book The Laws of Prosperity, “Since God’s covenant has
been established and prosperity is a provision of this covenant, you need to
realize that prosperity belongs to you now!”
To
support this claim, prosperity teachers appeal to Galatians 3:14,
which refer to “the blessings of Abraham [that] come upon the Gentiles in
Christ Jesus.” It’s interesting, however, that in their appeals to Galatians 3:14 these teachers ignore the second half
of the verse: “that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Paul is clearly reminding the
Galatians of the spiritual blessing of salvation, not the material blessing of
wealth.
2. Jesus’ atonement
extends to the “sin” of material poverty.
In
his Bibliotheca Sacra article “A Theological Evaluation of the
Prosperity Gospel,” theologian Ken Sarles observes how the prosperity
gospel claims that “both physical healing and financial prosperity have
been provided for in the atonement.” This seems to be an accurate
observation in light of Copeland’s statement that “the basic principle of the
Christian life is to know that God put our sin, sickness, disease, sorrow,
grief, and poverty on Jesus at Calvary.” This
misunderstanding of the scope of the atonement stems from two errors prosperity
gospel proponents make.
First, many who espouse prosperity
theology have a fundamental misconception of the life of Jesus. For example,
teacher John Avanzini proclaimed on a TBN program, Jesus had “a nice
house,” “a big house,” “Jesus was handling big money,” and he even
“wore designer clothes.” It’s easy to see how such a warped view of the
life of Christ could lead to an equally warped misconception of the death of
Christ.
A
second error that leads to a faulty view of the atonement is
misinterpreting 2 Corinthians 8:9, which reads, “For you know the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.” While a shallow reading
of this verse may lead one to believe Paul was teaching about an increase in
material wealth, a contextual reading reveals he was actually teaching the
exact opposite principle. Indeed, Paul was teaching the Corinthians that since
Christ accomplished so much for them through the atonement, they should empty
themselves of their riches in service of the Savior. This is why just five
short verses later Paul would urge the Corinthians to give their wealth away to
their needy brothers, writing “that now at this time your abundance may supply
their lack” (2 Corinthians 8:14).
3. Christians give
in order to gain material compensation from God.
One of the most striking characteristics of
the prosperity theologians is their seeming fixation on the act of giving. We
are urged to give generously and are confronted with pious statements like,
“True prosperity is the ability to use God’s power to meet the needs of mankind
in any realm of life” and, “We have been called to finance the gospel to
the world.” While such statements may appear praiseworthy,
this emphasis on giving is built on motives that are anything but
philanthropic.
The
driving force behind this teaching on giving is what prosperity teacher Robert
Tilton referred to as the “Law of Compensation.” According to this law — purportedly
based on Mark 10:30 — Christians should give generously to
others because when they do, God gives back more in return. This, in turn,
leads to a cycle of ever-increasing prosperity.
As
Gloria Copeland put it in her 2012 book, God’s Will is Prosperity,
“Give $10 and receive $1,000; give $1,000 and receive $100,000. . . . In short, Mark 10:30 is a very good deal.” It’s evident,
then, that the prosperity gospel’s doctrine of giving is built on faulty
motives. Whereas Jesus taught his disciples to “give, hoping for nothing in
return” (Luke 10:35), prosperity
theologians teach their disciples to give because they will get a great
return.
4. Faith is a
self-generated spiritual force that leads to prosperity.
Whereas orthodox Christianity
understands faith to be trust in the person of Jesus Christ, prosperity
teachers espouse something quite different. “Faith is a spiritual force, a spiritual energy, a
spiritual power. It is this force of faith which makes the laws of the spirit
world function,” Copeland writes in The Laws of Prosperity. “There
are certain laws governing prosperity revealed in God’s Word. Faith causes them
to function.” This is
obviously a faulty, perhaps even heretical, understanding of faith.
According to prosperity theology, faith is
not a God-granted, God-centered act of the will. Rather, it is a
humanly wrought spiritual force, directed at God. Indeed, any theology that views
faith chiefly as a means to material gain rather than justification before
God must be judged inadequate at best.
5. Prayer is a tool
to force God to grant prosperity.
Prosperity gospel preachers often note
we “have not because we ask not” (James 4:2). They encourage us to pray for personal
success in all areas of life. As Creflo
Dollar writes, “When we pray, believing that we have already received what
we are praying, God has no choice but to make our prayers come to pass. . . .
It is a key to getting results as a Christian.”
Prayers for personal blessing aren’t
inherently wrong, of course, but the prosperity gospel’s overemphasis on man
turns prayer into a tool believers can use to force God to grant their
desires. Within prosperity theology, man—not God—becomes the focal point
of prayer. Curiously,
prosperity preachers often ignore the second half of James’s teaching on
prayer: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on
your passions” (James. 4:3). God does not answer selfish requests that do not honor his
name.
Certainly all our requests should be
made known to God (e.g., Philippians 4:6), but the prosperity gospel focuses so much on man’s desires
that it may lead people to pray selfish, shallow, superficial prayers that
don’t bring God glory. Further, when coupled with the prosperity
doctrine of faith, this
teaching may lead people to attempt to manipulate God to get what they
want—a futile task. This is far removed from praying “Your will be done.”
False Gospel
In light of Scripture, the prosperity
gospel is fundamentally flawed. At bottom, it is a false gospel because of its faulty
view of the relationship between God and man. Simply put, if the prosperity gospel is true, grace is
obsolete, God is irrelevant, and man is the measure of all things. Whether they’re talking about
the Abrahamic covenant, the atonement, giving, faith, or prayer, prosperity
teachers turn the relationship between God and man into a quid pro
quo transaction. As James Goff noted in a 1990 Christianity
Today article, God is
“reduced to a kind of ‘cosmic bellhop’ attending to the needs and desires of
his creation.”
This
is a wholly inadequate and unbiblical view of the relationship between God and
man.
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As you can see, when you learn the TRUTH from the Word of God instead of the TWISTED NONSENSE being peddled by the "Prosperity Ministers", the Christian life is about SERVING GOD not the wants and desires Satan has fabricated to deceive the followers of Christ Jesus.
I hope you have learned how to spot those FALSE TEACHERS who want to drain your bank account while telling you it is God's Plan so He can prosper you. God will prosper you when you commit to Him. I pray that it will become your souls to desire to hear that your journey towards the TRUTH and living in that TRUTH has please the LORD.
Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually]. For
I was greatly pleased when [some of the] brothers came [from time to
time] and testified to your [faithfulness to the] truth [of the gospel
message], that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living [their lives] in the truth. 3 John 2-4
May the Holy Spirit continue to guide you into more TRUTH of God's Will for your life as you study the Word of God proving you are approved by God.
"But the Helper
(Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby),
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you." John 14:26
"Study and do your
best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial]
who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
Blessings and Peace,
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